Tragic Rabbit

Abre los Ojos If you'll allow me... Imagine the people, their clothes and income and background and habits, who might reasonably be expected to choose each of the following different destinations for a holiday: Smithsonian Jamaica Coney Island Aspen Mt Rushmore C?te d'Azur Hawaii St Croix DisneyLand Gettysburg Aren't they very different sorts of people entirely? Aren't there Americans who would never bother going to Coney Island or Mt Rushmore? Aren't there Americans who would never dream of a holiday in C?te d'Azur or even St Croix? Isn't it telling what Americans choose to spend holiday time wandering the Smithsonian, which enjoy skiing in Aspen or perhaps a jaunt to the French Riviera, and who buys kitschy souvenirs at Civil War battlefields? Take a moment to look at things you've understood and accepted without question... Some Americans 'summer' (a verb to the higher classes) while others just go on vacation, yes? Some Americans own 'summer houses', while others book rooms online along Holiday Inn routes, or just round up the kids and hitch up the trailer come vacation time. Still others go nowhere on 'vacation'; if they get any time off from their jobs, it might be spent resting or cleaning house. In addition to class, many destinations are segregated by color and ethnicity, or more rarely by sexual orientation, so that persons accidentally booking time with a group or at a place (resort, travel group, hotel, spa, seaside, etc) where their ethnicity or sexual orientation is an unwelcome minority will unquestionably be aware of their error. Imagine a West Virginian hetero family of eight showing up, with trailer in tow, at the White Party, or a family of Ashkenazi Jews joining the DAR (or United Daughters of the Confederacy) on a sultry springtime walk through an historic American battlefield. And, of course, there are Americans who never 'fly' anywhere (or use that verb for human travels), whether holiday or not, and there are Americans who fly constantly but only via business class and probably save up their customer 'miles', and then there are other Americans who wouldn't dream of flying via commerical airlines outside of First Class (just ponder those designations, btw), and would be far more likely to charter a plane or perhaps even fly their own (or their family's or their company's) aircraft, calling up the pilot on the spur of the moment. These distinctions are all evidence of class differences in the holiday and vacation 'choices' and destinations of your fellow Americans. Class is the unspoken defining element in American life, politics and, even more definitely, in economics. Even more than color, though usually entwined with color, class distinctions determine every facet of our lives. That Americans don't acknowledge it is one of the truly odd facts about this country. We are a country of men (and now women) who are all equally equal, we like to say, but of course, some are more equal than others. No one is outside the day-to-day operation of class awareness...even if they're wilfully unaware. Kisses... TR Wikipedia has a good entry for class: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_class As societies expand and become more complex, economic power will often replace physical power as the defender of the class status quo, so that the following will establish one's class much more so than physical power: *occupation *education and qualifications *income *wealth or net worth *ownership of land, property, means of production, slaves, ... Those who can attain a power position in a society will often adopt distinctive lifestyles to emphasize their prestige, and as a way to further rank themselves within the powerful class. In certain times and places, the adoption of these stylistic traits can be as important as one's wealth in determining class status, at least at the higher levels: *costume and grooming *manners and cultural refinement. For example, Bourdieu suggests a notion of high and low classes with a distinction between bourgeois tastes and sensitivities and the working class tastes and sensitivities. *political standing vis-?-vis the church, government, and/or social clubs, as well as the use of honorary titles *reputation of honor or disgrace *language, the distinction between elaborate code, which is seen as a criterion for "upper-class", and the restricted code, which is associated with "lower classes" Finally, fluid notions such as race and sexual orientation can have widely varying degrees of influence on class standing. Having characteristics of the majority ethnic group and engaging in marriage to produce offspring improve one's class status in most societies. But what is considered "racially superior" in one society may be exactly the opposite in another, and there have been societies, such as ancient Greece, in which intimacy with someone of the same gender would improve one's social status so long as it occurred alongside opposite-gender marriage. Also a minority sexual orientation and, to a far lesser degree, minority ethnicity have often been faked, hidden, or discreetly ignored if the person in question otherwise attained the requirements to be high class. Ethnicity is still often the single most overarching issue of class status in some societies (see the articles on apartheid, the Caste system in Africa, and the Japanese Burakumin ethnic minority for examples).

Welcome to AwesomeDude News & Views Jan 7th 2007! ALL VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS, please visit the Welcome Forum in AD Forums for detailed instructions on how to get the most from Awesome Dude website and Forums! Registration is not necessary to read in the Forums. Happy New Year, Dudes and Dudettes, and welcome to your first AD News & Views of 2007! The New Year has brought a few changes to AwesomeDude; one is that AwesomeDude Radio is shelved, alas, for the nonce, due to lack of interest. We thank all of you who contributed time and music to ADR and hope that, at some point, we can revisit the idea in a different fashion and with more success. Onward and upward? New Serial Stories and Chapters Finally, Josiah Jacobus-Parker?s new novel has arrived! You?ve been teased and tormented but now it?s here, chapter one of The Kept by our own darling JJ-P. A spooky and well-written tale of strangers in the night, The Kept keeps us on the edge of our seats with thrills and chills galore. Don?t miss this new novel by the author of Angel, Josiah Jacobus-Parker! In case you missed it, or are one of those who wait for novels to be finished before you read them, I strongly urge you to read the now-complete Cole Parker?s Celebrations Across the Calendar! Fantastic and fun adventures of different American boys in differing situations, all these stories will draw you in, keep you there, and then stay snug in your memory. Read Celebrations and let Cole know what you think of his anthology! New AD Author Nickolas James has updated and revised his novel Bodega Bay and AD now offers it to you at the rate of two chapters per week, so keep checking back for more updates! Our Winged Wonder Jamie of Icaria brings us Book 2, Chapter 17 of Scrolls of Icaria, the most popular ongoing gay novel around! Don?t miss it and don?t forget to email Jamie to tell him you?re enjoying his work! Terry O?Reilly?s One Night in December updates to Year Five! Don?t miss this sexy and fun story of friends, and animals, by a great net writer! Talented Author Joel brings us another chapter of Mystery and Mayhem at St. Marks; chapter 13 is online at AwesomeDude! AD Author Cole Parker?s Prom updates to chapter 10, be sure to email him if you?re enjoying this story! Longtime AD Author Sequoyah brings us chapter 9 of the engaging Saga of the Elizabethton Tarheels! Don?t miss it and don?t forget to email the author to let him know how much you?re enjoying his efforts! Captain Rick?s Sky?s the Limit updates to chapter 12 this week! This story will go to once a week updates until his editor can catch up with him, so look again next weekend for more of this great story! Sweet, shy, sexy and talented AD Author Camy gives us chapter 6 of Seraph! Don?t miss it and don?t forget to email Camy to let him know you?re enjoying it! New Shorts and Sounds Two great new short stories this week! New AD Author Nickolas James brings us A Family?s Sorrow, this tale takes us through the heartache of one boy?s coming out to his family and his struggle to make things right between them. In addition, AD Author Camy brings us a great new short story, Spuke, a magical tale of strange events, passion and secrets that you won?t want to miss! Don?t forget to email all authors whenever you enjoy their work, they aren?t writing for pay, they?re writing for love, so please send them love as often as you can! And that?s all the news that?ll fit for this week, Guys and Dolls, so get busy, get reading and don?t forget to post and email in those spare moments. For those as is curious, no, TR did not get the desired PermaPuppy for Christmas. Apparently, they aren?t actually for sale?yet. Neither TR nor The Dude got any sexy Bel Ami elves in their stockings, either, but at least they didn?t get lumps of coal. Ah, well, and so it goes. Dude's Rogercat and TR's Master Harry say ?Meow? to all you fans and folks out in Fiction Land. Happy New Year 2007 from AwesomeDude, your premiere online source of gay prose and poetry!

I know you're joking but... Many Americans will tell you that we don't have class structures, either, it's a very twitchy subject and one which people tend not to see clearly. Almost all Americans, of whatever income and background, consider themselves to be 'middle class', a patent impossibility that doesn't detract from its popularity as a belief. To suggest that anyone else is not middle class, either upper or lower, is regarded as highly insulting in this country. There is no sense of worker solidarity, of class pride in the 'lower classes' or other ideas that are visible in, for example, England. The theory in America is that no one is better than anyone else, by birth or breeding, and that money can be obtained by anyone who works hard and is thus, at most, only a temporary barrier. That this is not true is not widely accepted in America and that tenet, of alleged equality, lies under much political manipulation and general consensus opinion. This likely stems in part from our Revolutionary War and the idea that we are different from Europeans and their traditional class distinctions, this despite the fetish fascination royalty and nobility have for many Americans. Probably also in part from our western expansion history that includes ideas such as 'rugged individualism', 'manifest destiny' and idolizes larger-than-life figures like Teddy Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy (I won't delve into the irony of American choice in idols). The idea that one person has better breeding, while in fact is a primary force in economics and ordinary life, will be hotly denied by most Americans except those in the actual upper classes (and they wouldn't mention it publically ). Better blood is simply denied across the board by Americans, even those of upper classes who take care to 'breed' within 'good' bloodlines and those of lower who 'breed' only within color, religion or class lines. Obviously, what is said and what is understood are two different things. TR

Beg to differ. Public schools (free education available to all, theoretically, but actually based on housing/residential patterns and school quality varies widely) don't have them in higher grades (where they'd be more needed) but often have 'monitors' or safety assistants (can't think of the term) in lower grades. US private schools of some kinds do have them but don't use terms like 'head boy' and 'head girl'. 'Prefect' I'm less sure about and wouldn't be surprised if some non-parochial private schools used that title, particularly boarding schools in the northeastern United States. I think it would be hard not to have designated older students with authority, in some form, at any boarding school. I do also know of private, non-parochial day schools that have them. Unofficially, of course, all schools have them, students who have authority over other students simply because they are granted it by the students themselves. This can be good or bad but, speaking from experience, it's useful for a teacher or coach to use such students to help meet goals. I think most of the 'no' responses you're getting are based on typical public high school experience and are not an across-the-board answer for American schools, public and private, parochial and non-parochial, boarding and day. Americans get twitchy when you talk about class, and what kind of school one attended is most definitely a 'class' question. Just my thoughts. TR

HEAR TR READ THIS POEM By the Shimmering Shores of the Sea Old Cold Castle stands by the shores of the sea, Wherein lives a lost boy in tower of stone That rises high by the shimmering sea: The color of bone, washed pale in the foam, A white summit of stone, A bright tower of bone There by the shores of the shivering sea. In tower enchanted is boy all alone Near those sultry shores by side of the sea- Imprisoned unknown, behind a locked door, A dark daunting door to which is no key No key for that room No key for that lock by the sea No key for this boy by the side of the sea. Alone, so alone, in his tower of bone Is this sweet sorrowful son by the sea; Bewitched and bespelled, by enchantment felled And cloistered alone, in tower is held This boy with bright blues, Glimmering eyes as blue as could be, Eyes like shimmering hues of the sea. That room so alone, in tower of stone Behind a locked door, is all he has known, And so all his days, does cry and does gaze Out stout stone windows that look on the sea Out at the blue sea: Looking out at blue sea, longing to be free, Lives boy in stone all alone by the side of the sea. Old Cold Castle still stands by the shores of the sea Where tower imprisons him, alone as can be, By the shore of the shivering, shimmering, glimmering sea; In tower of bone, he?s crying alone, He spends all his days gazing out at the salt sea Enchanted, ensorcelled on shores of the sea: That lost lonely boy?he is me. *

Gawd, this stanza is beautiful, Gabe. Love it! Kisses... TR

TR is just the sorcerer's apprentice. The Dude does the hard labor and deserves the credit for all that makes AwesomeDude awesome. Kisses... TR

It's not wise to invoke the Bunny without good cause, Dark Shadow. TR PS. I only let my very close friends call me 'evil'...

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I have rectified my error and do humbly apologize. I'd like to blame The Dude, or at least my Cats, but honor forbids. I simply...forgot. Dude did tell me, albeit briefly and apropos of nothing. It was a long night... NOTE TO AD AUTHORS: Howsomever, it is easier (for TR and Dude) not to forget if authors remember to routinely CC the Story Editor on submissions, comments, changes, complaints, queries and chapter updates. That way, among other things, TR has a record when Upload Time comes 'round, even if he is feeling blond. Many kisses.... TR story-editor@awesomedude.com

AwesomeDude News & Views December 24th, Christmas Eve 2006! ALL VISITORS AND NEW FORUM MEMBERS, please visit the Welcome Forum in AD Forums for detailed instructions on how to get the most from Awesome Dude website and Forums! Registration is not necessary to read in the Forums. Merry Christmas, all you fiction fans and fruitcakes-- have another slice and a glass of eggnog as you?re waiting up for Santa and all those sexy Elves---and, hey, while you?re sitting down, why don?t you catch up with all our new Awesome Dude chapters and stories! Let?s see what?s under the AD tree? New Serial Stories and Chapters Wow, you?ve got a great holiday gift from WBMS! Brand new chapter of Another Day in Paradise! WBMS brings us chapter 7 in this story of teen love, friendship and?skateboarding! And Jamie does no less, offering his timely holiday gift of Book 2 Chapter 16 of The Scrolls of Icaria!. Don't wait to unwrap this one! Cole Parker adds spice and something nice to his Celebrations Across the Calendar with two new stories: first, a pepper-feisty April?s Fool and then Something Special, his sweet-as-candy Christmas story! Don?t miss either story and remember that this anthology updates again mid-week and on New Year?s Day. EMAIL AD AUTHOR COLE IF YOU?RE ENJOYING THE STORY HALF AS MUCH AS I AM! Terry O?Reilly?s sexy and fun One Night in December updates to a shiny gift-wrapped Year Four! Showing horses and sharing love, don?t miss this wonderful gift from Terry! ! Have another cookie and read Year Four of this great story! Our beloved Joel brings us just what we wanted with another fantastic installment of Mystery and Mayhem at St. Mark?s: chapter 11 is online! Wow, another prezzie from Cole! Chapter 6 of new and revised Prom by busy AD Author Cole Parker! AND Captain Rick slips chapter 8 of Sky?s the Limit into our Christmas stockings! Remember that this story, like Prom and Celebrations, will update again mid-week. Graeme, along with a few other authors, has taken gone on hiatus for the holidays, but check back soon for great chapter updates of Heart of the Tree and other stories here at AwesomeDude! If you?ve not read it yet, please don?t miss new AD Author Abraxas? Yuletide story: read Christmas for Joshua, a bittersweet holiday story that?ll hit the spot. VISIT Codey's World for their 2006 Holiday Story Collection ~ by guest and hosted authors ~ their gift to you and your loved ones. Codey's World....one boy's dream. Christmas Kisses from? TR, who still wants a PermaPuppy for Christmas! ...and also wonders if they make PermaBoyfriends...to spec? Thanks for taking time this holiday season to visit AwesomeDude, your premier website for gay prose and poetry, brought to you by The Awesome Dude! "Sometimes there?s a man, I won?t say a hero because what?s a hero, but I?m talking about The Dude here, and sometimes there?s a man and he?s the man for his time and place, he fits right in there, and that?s The Dude. ? ~The Big Lebowski

Spotlight on homeless LGBT youth by Heather Cassell h.cassell@ebar.com Calling a spot on a street corner home isn't the image conjured when most people think of where they live, but for an estimated 672,000 queer youth across the country who find themselves homeless each year the streets or temporary shelter are often the closest thing to home they have. According to an exhaustive report released December 14 by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ? collaborating with the National Coalition for the Homeless ? an estimated 42 percent of up to 1.6 million homeless youth are LGBT identified, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "It's absolutely shameful that in a civilized society in this day and age that tens of thousands of kids are sleeping on the street," said New York City Council member Lew Fidler, chairman of the council's Youth Services Committee. "I don't think that people know that 20,000 kids sleep on the streets [of New York City] every night ? if they did they would be appalled." The primary reason why teens and young adults run away from their families or foster homes is due to conflicts within their homes. According to NGLTF's report, half of queer teens who come out experience some form of homophobia from their parents or guardians, 26 percent are kicked out of their homes, and one-third of youths report that they are assaulted when they come out. Despite increased awareness of LGBT people and issues, homophobia remains to be a large societal problem, even in large urban areas such as New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. "They haven't had the same experience that many of us have had growing up, where we had a supportive family environment ? whatever our families looked like ? to be able to help us transition successfully into adulthood," said Sherilyn Adams, executive director of Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco. "They are young people with goals and dreams and what they lack is support and the tools to be able to accomplish this." According to the National Runaway Switchboard, which provided the data for NGLTF's report, it is estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 youths are living on New York City's streets annually. Experts working with these kids believe that 8,400 of them are LGBT. Detailed fact sheets for other states and cities are scheduled for release January 2. The Big Apple is taking an aggressive stand. Fidler, along with City Council member Alan Gerson and out lesbian Council Speaker Christine Quinn, are working to improve the city's response to homeless youth. Within two years funds allocated to support services jumped from $1.2 million to $2.6 million, which they hope to make a permanent part of the city's annual budget. A portion of the funding is specifically being directed toward agencies that support queer youth to get them off of the streets into housing as well as receive services that will assist them to lead fulfilling and healthy lives. The programs have been successful, but city officials agree that they are just getting started and that more needs to be done. "I don't think that anybody in the city government is saying that we are doing well with this, but to identify and map the problem is always the first step, so that's huge," said Paul Nagle, director of communication for Gerson. Nagel sees the report as a major tool to assist with acquiring funding and creating policy changes, such as with the federal Runaway, Homeless, and Missing Children Protection Act of 2003, which will be up for revision in 2008. He believes the value of the report is that it will have a positive impact on all homeless youth. New York City isn't the only major metropolitan in the U.S. that is aware of the realities homeless youths' needs. In San Francisco, a survey of 93 queer and transgender youth earlier this year found that more services are needed. And while city officials have been able to secure funding for a small number of beds in transitional housing programs, nonprofit agencies continue to face tight budgets. The Youth Empowerment Team at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, which surveyed queer youth, also found that 89 percent of them don't feel safe in shelters despite the fact that 85 percent state housing is the number one priority for them. Economic issues were second to housing, according to the YET survey. The NGLTF report echoed the same concerns contained in the YET report. Despite leaving unsafe environments, queer youth continue to struggle to find a safe place where they can pursue their dreams and goals. lang=EN Homeless youths' struggles aren't lost on Mayor Gavin Newsom or other city officials. While youth were left out of Newsom�s third annual state of the homelessness address on December 14 ? the same day NGLTF released its report ? he is waiting to receive specific information about homeless youth in San Francisco from the Transitional Youth Task Force he established in March. "I agree with the mayor that the city is doing a far better job in addressing homelessness through supportive housing," said Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who secured $750,027 this year for the Community Partnership for LGBTQQ Youth for subsidized housing and supportive services and wants to make the funds permanent in the city's annual budget. The community partnership successfully located and has retained long-term housing for LGBT youth at the Perramont Hotel in the Castro, which currently provides 10 units for queer youth. According to Dufty, the number of units is expected to increase to 20, but it's clear that current housing units compared to the youth waiting for a place to call their own is unbalanced. Dufty and advocates are seeking landlords who will negotiate affordable subsidized leases for other apartments. While for queer youth it's ideal to find housing in the Castro, Dufty is open to all housing opportunities throughout the city. In the meantime, services that provide temporary or long-term shelter for homeless youth remain an option. Larkin Street Youth Services currently provides a variety of temporary shelter and long-term housing opportunities for youth and is a part of the community partnership. Guerrero House provides longer-term housing with its 18-month program that provides life-skills training and other opportunities for youth. The waiting lists are long, but that's only a sign of how necessary the services are, Adams noted. Larkin Street declined to make some of its homeless queer youth clients availale to the Bay Area Reporter to comment for this article. Youth who are under 18 years of age or emancipated have another option in the Bay Area. Family Builders By Adoption recently launched "No Place Like Home," to provide foster homes specifically for queer youth throughout the nine Bay Area counties, and is seeking families willing to open their homes to queer youth. The program is similar to Los Angeles' Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services, which has been in operation for over a decade. Members of YET are finding a way to fulfill their dreams and goals. They are creating a manual for service providers with recommendations for best practices as well as publishing YET Zine Zone, a zine to educate homeless and runaway youth to empower themselves to be self-sufficient. It should be available at the center this week. To find out more information about the report visit NGLTF at www.thetaskforce.org/media/release.cfm?releaseID=1019. To find out more information about "No Place Like Home" visit Family Builders at www.familybuilders.org/services.html or call (510) 272-0204. 12/21/2006 http://ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=1417

Furore over 'gay nativity' scene ROME, Italy (AP) -- Two leftists in Italy's ruling coalition on Wednesday outraged fellow lawmakers by placing four dolls representing homosexual couples near the baby Jesus in the official nativity scene in parliament. The two parliamentarians from the small "Rose in the Fist" party said their gesture was to promote the legalisation of gay marriage and granting legal recognition to unmarried couples. Bruno Mellano and Donatella Poretti placed the Barbie and Ken-type dolls in the parliamentary nativity scene, each couple lying down embraced among the shepherds witnessing the birth of Jesus. Each of the two doll couples, which parliamentary ushers removed after a few minutes, wore miniature placards with slogans in favour of gay rights. "This is a vulgar and unacceptable double attack against both a (national) institution as well as a religious symbol," a group of women parliamentarians of the opposition conservative Forza Italia party said in a statement. Luca Volonte, a member of the small centrist opposition Union of Christian Democrats, called the gesture a "pure attack against the religion practised by the majority of Italians". Italy is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic and nativity scenes, featuring figures of the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, animals and three kings bearing gifts, are put but in many homes, squares and shops. Some members of the opposition demanded the lawmakers be censured by the speaker of the lower house of parliament. But even the Italian Communist Party, which supports gay rights and is also in the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Romano Prodi, distanced itself from the action. One communist parliamentarian called it "a grave political error" that would not help homosexuals. The two leftist politicians carried out their gesture just before Pope Benedict, speaking to pilgrims and tourists at the Vatican, said Christmas creches were part of Christian culture that had to be defended. In recent weeks, several state schools have decided not to erect the nativity scene. Some shops decided not to sell them, saying they were not popular or did not fit their image. But even Education Minister Giuseppe Fioroni has criticised such schools, saying they had gone too far in banning nativity scenes which could instead be used as tools for inter-religious dialogue. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/12/20...y.ap/index.html

Senator questions judge's role in lesbian wedding DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- Sen. Sam Brownback, who wants to champion social conservatives in the presidential race, said Tuesday he wants a Senate panel to re-question a judicial nominee who attended a same-sex union ceremony. Brownback, a Kansas Republican, said he wants Michigan state judge Janet Neff to testify about her role in the 2002 Massachusetts ceremony, her legal views on same-sex unions and her ability to be impartial if called upon to rule on such cases. Neff's nomination to a federal district court is among a dozen or so now stalled in the Senate, a logjam in part due to Brownback's questions about Neff's attendance at a lesbian commitment ceremony. The Senate Judiciary Committee has already approved her nomination. Neff was traveling outside the country and could not immediately be reached for comment, said Chris Bockheim, her judicial assistant. Earlier this month, Brownback, a prominent opponent of gay marriage who is exploring a presidential run in 2008, said he would lift the hold he put on Neff's nomination if the judge agreed to withdraw from ruling on any court case involving the legality of same sex unions. In Iowa on Tuesday to meet with GOP activists, Brownback said he wants only a chance to question Neff about her role in the 2002 ceremony. Brownback also wants a recorded vote in the Senate. "I am not opposed to her getting a vote," Brownback said before a lunch with potential donors and supporters in Davenport. "I would like her to come back through committee so she can testify what took place, factually ... her legal views on same-sex marriage and her ability and willingness to be impartial." Neff has said she attended the commitment ceremony as a friend of one of the two women, a longtime neighbor. She insisted in an October 12 letter to Brownback that the ceremony had no legal effect and would not influence her ability to act fairly as a federal judge. Brownback also has been criticized for his proposal that Neff be required to recuse herself from gay marriage cases. Legal scholars said such a deal would infringe on the separation of the legislative and judicial branches of government. But Brownback said it was simply a last resort to put her nomination forward. "If we don't testify on her views on same-sex marriage legally, then the only way I can see fit to do this is to have her recuse herself from a class of cases," Brownback said. "Then others stepped in and said, 'You can't do that.' Well, that's the only option I had at that late hour." Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/19/bro...e.ap/index.html

News & Views December 17th 2006 ALL VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS, please visit the Welcome Forum in AD Forums for detailed instructions on how to get the most from Awesome Dude website and Forums! Registration is not necessary to read in the Forums. Well, first off, let me relay that The (Awesome) Dude is overwhelmed with the commercialization of Christmas this year and thus decided not to weigh down AwesomeDude.com with campy wreaths and singing Elves?and he also decided not to run non-stop Christmas music on ADR. His Dudeness guesses that if you want that stuff, you know where to find it?and AwesomeDude will just keep on doing what it does best, bringing you the best online prose, audio, music and poetry in an easy-to-navigate site format. Onward and upward? Hey, listen up, dudes and dudettes, because we have some great new chapters plus another brand new novel for you this week! New Serial Stories and Chapters First off, we?ve snagged BoN and Nifty Prolific Author Cole Parker as one of our new AD Authors, and he?s brought us something new that?s as unusual as it is enjoyable?an anthology of boys? stories called Celebrations Across the Calendar! These stories are about different boys, unnumbered and of varying lengths and themes, but all tie into the calendar Title Page. I read a lot as The Dude?s Story Editor but this batch held me riveted, I literally could not stop reading once I started?and I predict that you won?t be able to resist the series, either. The first story, Halloween , is online and the others will follow twice a week (plus on Christmas and New Year?s Day), so keep checking back for more boys? Celebrations from Cole Parker. And, just as great, our fantastic new writing duo, EleCivil and Ryan Miller have chapter 2 of Ragnarok for us! Visit Mars with these two great AD Authors, but don?t expect standard sci-fi fare when you arrive! Alternating chapters, this author team is bringing us a fast paced adventure in one very unusual setting, under the biodome of the Red Planet. Is that all? No way, Jose! Terry O?Reilly?s sexy and fun One Night in December updates to Year Three! Showing horses and showing love, romantic and paternal, are just two subjects dealt with in this wonderful tale from Terry! Have some eggnog and catch up with Year Three! Captain Rick adds chapters 5 and 6 to Sky?s the Limit! Remember that this story, like Cole Parker's Prom and Celebrations, will update again mid-week. Our unparalleled AD Author Sequoyah makes the deadline this week with chapter 7 of Saga of the Elizabethton Tarheels! Joel brings us another installment of Mystery and Mayhem at St. Mark?s: chapter 10 is online! And, last but definitely not least, hardworking Aussie and AD Author Graeme brings us Book 2, Chapter 16 Heart of the Tree! New Short Stories and Audio Great new AD Author Abraxas brings us Christmas for Joshua, a sharp and sweet holiday story that?ll hit the spot. Welcome our new Author Abraxas and don?t miss his Yuletide offering! Yes, just one new short story this week but don?t despair, many more are in the works. If you?ve got a tale you?d like us to consider, send it to story-editor@awesomedude.com after reading the newly updated Story Submission Guidelines on the AD front page. AUDIO BUTTONS: new one-click audio ?wimpy? buttons?click once, download nothing, open nothing, just click and hear the author read his story in his own voice! No hassles, just sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the story in the actual author or poet?s voice. Contact Story-Editor TR if you?d like to your story to have a wimpy button, and Poetry-Editor Gabriel Duncan if you?d like your poem to feature one. Files must be mp3s and relatively clean to upload as wimpy buttons. Poetry and Story Submission Guidelines have been updated! Please read before submitting to either Editor. NEW this week (12/17) at AD Family Site Codey's World Codey's World - 2006 Holiday Story Collection ~ By guest and hosted authors ~ Our gift to you and your loved ones Codey's World ....One boy's dream And...that's all the news that?ll fit. Have a great time reading! Next update will be on Christmas Eve. Kisses? TR, who wants a PermaPuppy for Christmas! "Sometimes there?s a man, I won?t say a hero because what?s a hero, but I?m talking about The Dude here, and sometimes there?s a man and he?s the man for his time and place, he fits right in there, and that?s The Dude. ? ~The Big Lebowski

Ever wanted to visit the planet Mars? AD Authors EleCivil and Ryan Miller have a ticket with your name on it... From RAGNAROK, Chapter One: An old man stood behind the counter of his caf?, cleaning glasses as his nephew counted the money in the till after a heavy day of business. He kept looking out through the window at a man sitting at one of the round, umbrella-clad tables in front of the caf?. The man had been sitting there since the shop closed, just sitting in his brown trench coat with his feet propped up on the table, reading a tabloid. The old man had thought of going out and telling him he had to leave and that the caf? was closed, but he hadn?t been bothered by the stranger and didn?t have the heart to throw him out into the rain. The headlights of a taxi appeared down the street from the caf? and the man at the table looked up from his newspaper. The taxi pulled up next to the caf? and a man in a black jacket stepped out and pulled his collar up over his neck to stave off the rain as he leaned over to pay the driver. Fuel cells hummed and the taxi drove off, leaving its former client standing on the edge of the street with the man at the table. ?It?s raining pretty hard,? said the man at the table, putting his feet on the ground. ?You may as well sit here under an umbrella.? The man in black accepted the stranger?s invitation and sat down next to him, shaking the rain from his jacket. ?You don?t look very experienced, young man,? said the man, putting down his newspaper. ?But time will change people, old man,? said the other, as he had been instructed. Even though he had practiced his line over and over again, the realization that he was passing the point of no return still hit him like a punch in the gut. CLICK HERE TO READ RAGNAROK Chapter Two now online! *

That is sooo cute. Kisses... TR

Bush 'happy' for pregnant Mary Cheney WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Vice President Dick Cheney's pregnant lesbian daughter Mary will make a "fine mom," President Bush said, sidestepping his past comment that a child ideally would be raised by a mother and father. Mary Cheney, 37, and her longtime partner, Heather Poe, are expecting their first child, which would be the sixth grandchild for the vice president. Cheney was hired last year as an executive for America Online -- whose parent company Time Warner also owns People as well as CNN. "I think Mary is going to be a loving soul to her child. And I'm happy for her," Bush said in an interview with People magazine. The Washington Post reported that the baby was due in late spring. In a 2005 interview with The New York Times, Bush said: "I believe children can receive love from gay couples. But the ideal is -- and studies have shown that --the ideal is where a child is raised in a married family with a man and a woman." He sidestepped the issue when questioned by People magazine about whether he still held that belief. "Mary Cheney is going to make a fine mom, and she's going to love this child a lot," he said, according to an excerpt from the interview. During the 2004 campaign, Mary Cheney served as a key aide to her father. White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush stood by his belief about a mother and father but also believes that "every human life is sacred and that every child that comes into this world deserves love and he believes that Mary Cheney's child will in fact have loving parents." Bush has supported a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages, but Congress failed to pass it. The vice president's daughter opposed the measure. Cheney's pregnancy has drawn fire from some conservatives, including James Dobson, chairman of the Focus on the Family lobbying group, who has clashed with the Bush administration in the past. "We should not enter into yet another untested and far-reaching social experiment, this one driven by the desires of same-sex couples to bear and raise children," Dobson said in a recent commentary published on the organization's Web site. However, he said his position was not meant to "harm or insult women such as Cheney and Poe." Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved. Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/15/bus...reut/index.html

AwesomeDude STORY SUBMISSION FAQs In what form should I submit my story or chapter? Submit story in .doc or .htm files, zip only if sending multiple files, separate your chapters into different files unless discussed with TR ahead of time. Do not convert from Word to htm, please use another program to convert to htm or submit in doc form. Each file name should ideally be the title and chapter, installment, or part number, with underscores between all letters and numbers. Include author ID in file name if it is not an installment on a regular chapter or you are not a regular contributor. Do not send stories in txt/Notepad files/funky formats, or in the body of the email itself. The word 'submission' is not required in the subject header, include only title, chapter # and author name in subject header. Do not leave subject header blank, that only guarantees it will be diverted and die unread in the Story Editor's Junk folder. Do not send lists of titles and/or links without explanation. Comments and questions should be limited to the body of the email and should be clear and to the point. Exceptions allowed, of course, for personal correspondence to TR using Admin address, though it might be better to use his tr@tragicrabbit.org address for this purpose. So long as the subject header is clear and accurate, there's no problem. Remember that Admin deals with a large quantity of emails every week, and try to assist them in these little timesavers. Don't attach weird things to your email; if they look odd to us, chances are they won't be opened. When the file opens: title, installment # and author pen name must be clearly visible at top of open file. We should not have to search file to discover if this is the correct file or who wrote it. File end, story, or chapter conclusion should clearly marked or otherwise obvious. DO NOT include repeats from former chapters to 'remind' readers, they can click on the previous chapters if they're so inclined. Author Notes are acceptable if reasonably short, as are disclaimers, and are recommended for story/file/chapter end only. You can include a disclaimer but please understand that by being hosted by AwesomeDude, your words are already essentially copyrighted, and in a sense that is defensible in court. If Author Notes are longer than story itself, you might reconsider either the story or the Notes. Leave multiple spaces at top and bottom of story files and reasonable margins. Be neat. Use spellcheck and a readable font. Unreadable, weird, or tiny font will not be read. Include an author email if you desire direct reader response. Make sure Story Editor knows how to contact you; it helps to use only one email address when corresponding with TR as Story Editor. Comply with all Admin requests or provide a reason why you cannot. We don't mean to sound harsh and AD Admin are reasonable people, but have only so many hours in their days. Help us conserve time so that we may better serve you. What do you need in the email itself? If submitting chapters in an ongoing serial, nothing need be attached in the email or along with the file, as long as the subject header contains the correct information. Exceptions are if author is sending from alternate email address, then author must identify himself in the email body. Doing so risks the email hitting a Junk/Spam folder, or being stopped/bounced/deleted by other security protocols, so it's not advisable...though it's acceptable. Please try to be consistent. What if I am new to AwesomeDude? If you are new to AD and have not been approved as an AwesomeDude Author, please include and repeat author information in all email queries. Please try not to inundate TR with email postscripts as they occur to you. Do not assume we will post your story: we are not your mothers and we are not Nifty (though we are Awesome). Don't be belligerent, rude, or demanding. Tell us if and where the submitted story has already been posted or published. If an AD Author, Admin, Editor or Forum Member has recommended you, tell us that, too, so that we may contact him/her. Please note that we will contact him/her; be honest. Tell us something about yourself, why you write, and why you are submitting to AwesomeDude. Patiently await the responses of Story Editor and decision of Admin to accept or reject submission. Please respond fully and courteously to all emailed questions from AD Administrators. Do not submit AD Admin email addresses to Chinese spambots, Homeland Security or Fred Phelps, and avoid the use of voodoo to achieve your purposes. We employ multiple and confusing software securities, as well as white magic, to protect our Authors and ourselves. What kind of stories do you usually accept? We focus on gay fiction, with emphasis on gay romance, but accept other stories on a case-by-case basis. Proven authors are free to submit on nearly any subject that does not violate our story content restrictions, and even some that do. Quality, originality and style have the potential to trump other considerations. We love a great story, however unusual or weird. With rare exceptions, content restrictions include, but are not limited to, the following: gratuitous rape, adult-child sex (child=under ten), gratuitous prostitution or drug abuse, sex scenes involving children under the age of ten, abuse of children or animals, bestiality (aside from, say, humor, but we're open to possibilities here and don't want to limit a good writer's creativity), graphic hardcore BDSM ('blood sports', etc), fanfic of any kind, and most especially 'wank' stories (as defined by Admin) wherein the sex serves no narrative purpose and the story exists solely, or primarily, as masturbatory material. Hot sex is great but only if integrated into a storyline that is believable, consistent and of good narrative quality. None of the restrictions apply to personal reminiscences submitted for our Drawn From Life section, those are open to whatever is, or was, true for the author. Work must be original. Please note that we do not accept or read: fanfic, boy-band stories or any other kind of story that is not wholly and entirely original to the author submitting. Don't send us stories about Harry Potter, the Elves of Middle Earth or Captain James T. Kirk. Those characters belong to their authors, living or dead. If your submitted story is based on, or is companion to, the works of another author, with their permission, make that clear in your first email. Do not use characters from another author's work, scenes, and descriptions or lift whole paragraphs-be advised that we will check. If yours is a parody of another author's work, that should be clearly stated in the email and such submissions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, quality and permissions being paramount. AwesomeDude absolutely does not accept stories where the author promotes homophobia, racism, or other bigotries, though stories may contain characters that express such feelings if necessary for the plot. AwesomeDude exists to promote self-acceptance and happy lives among our readers, authors, and members, gay or not, and therefore cannot assist in the promotion of hate in any form. This does not mean all stories have a 'happy ending', it means all stories have a happy purpose, which is to further the aims of AwesomeDude. We consider such stories righteous, rightful, and needful in today's society of negativity. Quality expectations include, but are not limited to, the following: stories must be in English, said English must be readable and grammatically correct (dialogue excepted), story ideas must not be stale or obvious (or unoriginal), and narrative style must be of a caliber we consider consistent with the standards of AwesomeDude. Again, no 'wank' stories, no fanfic; no exceptions. It is also helpful if your emails to Story Editor are cogent, courteous, coherent and consistent. New applicants in particular, please take note. If English is not your first language and you fear this might make communication rockier, please state that up front, in the initial email contact, and we will work with you. We are not unreasonable, just busy, but mostly on your behalf. If you are not yet an AD Author, please repeat all basic information in each email correspondence and submit from a single email address. Why? Because Story Editor is a mere human and can't remember who sent what from where, plus all their details, for days on end-that's why he keeps organized files. Help him stay organized by being clear, honest, direct, and to the point, every time you email or reply. Don't use the AD PM system unless no alternative is available. Email sent to Story-editor@awesomedude.com is the preferred contact method. Visit Writer and Editor Forums for tips, lists and details on what constitutes good writing and the elements of style. Do you accept stories with sex? If yes, what are the limitations, if any? See above. AwesomeDude accepts many stories with sex, gay or otherwise, but does not and will not accept 'wank' stories, fanfic or stories which otherwise violate content standards of AwesomeDude. We are a sex-positive website and our feeling is that gay people, in particular, are elevated and empowered by exposure to a variety of characters and storylines involving fictional gay people engaged in sexual, romantic or other ordinary human relationships. Why was I told that my story with subject matter Y was unacceptable when AD Author X wrote on that very topic? Do you just hate me and not Author X? No, we do not allow personal feelings to color decisions about editing or accepting stories. If we accepted one story and not yours, which you believe to be similar in some respect, then the similarity is either superficial or nonexistent. We adhere to our guidelines and accept stories that we consider of a quality and caliber to represent AwesomeDude, a site dedicated to generally upbeat, realistic, and helpful stories for gay people, especially young or questioning persons. We are also dedicated to helping gay writers achieve their potential, which is why we are often willing to work personally with so many authors. Why can't TR edit all my story submissions? TR, like you, is an author and needs time to do his own work. In addition, if he edited all of your, and everyone else's submissions, he'd need about 72 hours in each day. TR is not your Editor, he is The Dude's Editor, and while he sometimes edits for authors in whom he takes an interest, or who ask sweetly, his primary duty is to The Dude and AwesomeDude. He also, despite rumors to the contrary, has an Actual Real Life and would like to take the occasional day off to experience the offline world. Please don't pester, threaten, or harass TR if he is unable to edit your submission(s), if he must reject a submission on behalf of Admin or if he does not respond within a period you consider reasonable. If he does edit your work, be nice, say thank you and carefully consider his edits. Courtesy is its own reward. It is permissible to remind TR or The Dude, politely, in an email/PM/IM, of some deadline or lack of response, because they do occasionally forget things, but it is not nice to harass, spam, annoy, insult them and let's not submit their email addresses to trolls, freaks, homophobes, pay-by-the-minute webcam operators or online Viagra advertisers. Please be considerate, and rest assured that we are all stocked up on Viagra. How can I find an Editor? Are they sold on Ebay? We offer Forums where fantastic and experienced (or brand new!) Editors routinely offer their services, for no charge, and we offer a Bull Pen Forum where you can practice writing skills. Other options exist; you have only to ask nicely. How can I best use the services of an Editor, if offered? Follow his or her directives, ask questions, make corrections in a timely fashion and respect their advice, even that which you do not take. Always thank them profusely for their time and efforts. Like our authors, and unlike workers in the sex industry, our editors perform for love, not money. You simply cannot thank them enough. Some authors occasionally (or regularly) edit for one another; again, just ask. Make sure you communicate up front what you expect of your editor and ask him/her what he/she expects of you. Not all authors and editors are meant for each other. If my story is not accepted, may I resubmit it? No. Exceptions are if Admin returns it with edits or specific rewrite suggestions and asks you to resubmit it. Otherwise, confer with your Editor or household gods and only resubmit if major changes are made and a reasonable amount of time has elapsed. Please do not harass TR (or The Dude) and do not demand or expect that either will personally edit your story for content, grammar, or other errors. TR may offer, but he is also an author, and has many other authors to assist each week in his guise as Story Editor for AwesomeDude. He is, of course, also always at The Dude's command. Be polite, be patient, and be nice. We love nice people. If my story is not accepted, may I submit a different story? Yes, unless asked not to. If my story is accepted, do I retain rights to it? Yes, without exception or reservation. If I later publish my story or novel offline, will AwesomeDude remove the web version from online? Yes, unlike most online fiction sites, and we do not charge for this or set up conditions. We will also help promote your published work. We'd love to see you published! What do I get for being an AD Author? Is there a decoder ring or club tee shirt? No tees or toys, sorry, but all AD Authors are eligible for the following at no charge: their own AwesomeDude email address that is accessible online or auto-forwards to their personal email address (E.g.author_name@awesomedude.com), a personalized and individual Author Page with links, photos and other cool options to make Readers take notice (authors are eligible after second story is accepted), AD Forum membership upgrade to Author with extended Forums access, official AD Admin assistance in promoting any and all projects including music careers, book or story publications and, if you are ever cast in a Bel Ami film, a weekend date with The Dude, plane fare included. Of course, all AD Authors, Bel Ami models or not, receive the undying affection and attention of The Awesome Dude and his faithful Story Editor, TR. What does AwesomeDude consider an unacceptable story? Multiple. See above. Bad prose, trite storylines, fanfic, unreadable grammar or narrative style, etc, are not accepted, nor are violations of our content and quality guidelines as listed above. What does AwesomeDude consider a 'good' story or a 'great' story? A story that contains gay characters who feel good about themselves and experience some event in their life or lives, then manage to resolve it in a relatively believable fashion. Sad or funny; mystery, adventure, fantasy...we host stories that run the gamut. We especially love to accept stories with beautiful prose, unusual plots or situations and exceptionally likable or believable characters. We do not require the content, author or characters to 'be gay'; we are looking for quality work from exceptional authors. AD is a boutique site of what we consider the best online, mostly gay, fiction and, as such, we are smaller but we make up for that in quality, talent, and endurance. Size isn't everything. AwesomeDude: providing awesome gay fiction online since 2004. Story Editor - TR Site Administrator - Dude

AwesomeDude STORY SUBMISSION FAQs In what form should I submit my story or chapter? Submit story in .doc or .htm files, zip only if sending multiple files, separate your chapters into different files unless discussed with TR ahead of time. Do not convert from Word to htm, please use another program to convert to htm or submit in doc form. Each file name should ideally be the title and chapter, installment, or part number, with underscores between all letters and numbers. Include author ID in file name if it is not an installment on a regular chapter or you are not a regular contributor. Do not send stories in txt/Notepad files/funky formats, or in the body of the email itself. The word 'submission' is not required in the subject header, include only title, chapter # and author name in subject header. Do not leave subject header blank, that only guarantees it will be diverted and die unread in the Story Editor's Junk folder. Do not send lists of titles and/or links without explanation. Comments and questions should be limited to the body of the email and should be clear and to the point. Exceptions allowed, of course, for personal correspondence to TR using Admin address, though it might be better to use his tr@tragicrabbit.org address for this purpose. So long as the subject header is clear and accurate, there's no problem. Remember that Admin deals with a large quantity of emails every week, and try to assist them in these little timesavers. Don't attach weird things to your email; if they look odd to us, chances are they won't be opened. When the file opens: title, installment # and author pen name must be clearly visible at top of open file. We should not have to search file to discover if this is the correct file or who wrote it. File end, story, or chapter conclusion should clearly marked or otherwise obvious. DO NOT include repeats from former chapters to 'remind' readers, they can click on the previous chapters if they're so inclined. Author Notes are acceptable if reasonably short, as are disclaimers, and are recommended for story/file/chapter end only. You can include a disclaimer but please understand that by being hosted by AwesomeDude, your words are already essentially copyrighted, and in a sense that is defensible in court. If Author Notes are longer than story itself, you might reconsider either the story or the Notes. Leave multiple spaces at top and bottom of story files and reasonable margins. Be neat. Use spellcheck and a readable font. Unreadable, weird, or tiny font will not be read. Include an author email if you desire direct reader response. Make sure Story Editor knows how to contact you; it helps to use only one email address when corresponding with TR as Story Editor. Comply with all Admin requests or provide a reason why you cannot. We don't mean to sound harsh and AD Admin are reasonable people, but have only so many hours in their days. Help us conserve time so that we may better serve you. What do you need in the email itself? If submitting chapters in an ongoing serial, nothing need be attached in the email or along with the file, as long as the subject header contains the correct information. Exceptions are if author is sending from alternate email address, then author must identify himself in the email body. Doing so risks the email hitting a Junk/Spam folder, or being stopped/bounced/deleted by other security protocols, so it's not advisable...though it's acceptable. Please try to be consistent. What if I am new to AwesomeDude? If you are new to AD and have not been approved as an AwesomeDude Author, please include and repeat author information in all email queries. Please try not to inundate TR with email postscripts as they occur to you. Do not assume we will post your story: we are not your mothers and we are not Nifty (though we are Awesome). Don't be belligerent, rude, or demanding. Tell us if and where the submitted story has already been posted or published. If an AD Author, Admin, Editor or Forum Member has recommended you, tell us that, too, so that we may contact him/her. Please note that we will contact him/her; be honest. Tell us something about yourself, why you write, and why you are submitting to AwesomeDude. Patiently await the responses of Story Editor and decision of Admin to accept or reject submission. Please respond fully and courteously to all emailed questions from AD Administrators. Do not submit AD Admin email addresses to Chinese spambots, Homeland Security or Fred Phelps, and avoid the use of voodoo to achieve your purposes. We employ multiple and confusing software securities, as well as white magic, to protect our Authors and ourselves. What kind of stories do you usually accept? We focus on gay fiction, with emphasis on gay romance, but accept other stories on a case-by-case basis. Proven authors are free to submit on nearly any subject that does not violate our story content restrictions, and even some that do. Quality, originality and style have the potential to trump other considerations. We love a great story, however unusual or weird. With rare exceptions, content restrictions include, but are not limited to, the following: gratuitous rape, adult-child sex (child=under ten), gratuitous prostitution or drug abuse, sex scenes involving children under the age of ten, abuse of children or animals, bestiality (aside from, say, humor, but we're open to possibilities here and don't want to limit a good writer's creativity), graphic hardcore BDSM ('blood sports', etc), fanfic of any kind, and most especially 'wank' stories (as defined by Admin) wherein the sex serves no narrative purpose and the story exists solely, or primarily, as masturbatory material. Hot sex is great but only if integrated into a storyline that is believable, consistent and of good narrative quality. None of the restrictions apply to personal reminiscences submitted for our Drawn From Life section, those are open to whatever is, or was, true for the author. Work must be original. Please note that we do not accept or read: fanfic, boy-band stories or any other kind of story that is not wholly and entirely original to the author submitting. Don't send us stories about Harry Potter, the Elves of Middle Earth or Captain James T. Kirk. Those characters belong to their authors, living or dead. If your submitted story is based on, or is companion to, the works of another author, with their permission, make that clear in your first email. Do not use characters from another author's work, scenes, and descriptions or lift whole paragraphs-be advised that we will check. If yours is a parody of another author's work, that should be clearly stated in the email and such submissions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, quality and permissions being paramount. AwesomeDude absolutely does not accept stories where the author promotes homophobia, racism, or other bigotries, though stories may contain characters that express such feelings if necessary for the plot. AwesomeDude exists to promote self-acceptance and happy lives among our readers, authors, and members, gay or not, and therefore cannot assist in the promotion of hate in any form. This does not mean all stories have a 'happy ending', it means all stories have a happy purpose, which is to further the aims of AwesomeDude. We consider such stories righteous, rightful, and needful in today's society of negativity. Quality expectations include, but are not limited to, the following: stories must be in English, said English must be readable and grammatically correct (dialogue excepted), story ideas must not be stale or obvious (or unoriginal), and narrative style must be of a caliber we consider consistent with the standards of AwesomeDude. Again, no 'wank' stories, no fanfic; no exceptions. It is also helpful if your emails to Story Editor are cogent, courteous, coherent and consistent. New applicants in particular, please take note. If English is not your first language and you fear this might make communication rockier, please state that up front, in the initial email contact, and we will work with you. We are not unreasonable, just busy, but mostly on your behalf. If you are not yet an AD Author, please repeat all basic information in each email correspondence and submit from a single email address. Why? Because Story Editor is a mere human and can't remember who sent what from where, plus all their details, for days on end-that's why he keeps organized files. Help him stay organized by being clear, honest, direct, and to the point, every time you email or reply. Don't use the AD PM system unless no alternative is available. Email sent to Story-editor@awesomedude.com is the preferred contact method. Visit Writer and Editor Forums for tips, lists and details on what constitutes good writing and the elements of style. Do you accept stories with sex? If yes, what are the limitations, if any? See above. AwesomeDude accepts many stories with sex, gay or otherwise, but does not and will not accept 'wank' stories, fanfic or stories which otherwise violate content standards of AwesomeDude. We are a sex-positive website and our feeling is that gay people, in particular, are elevated and empowered by exposure to a variety of characters and storylines involving fictional gay people engaged in sexual, romantic or other ordinary human relationships. Why was I told that my story with subject matter Y was unacceptable when AD Author X wrote on that very topic? Do you just hate me and not Author X? No, we do not allow personal feelings to color decisions about editing or accepting stories. If we accepted one story and not yours, which you believe to be similar in some respect, then the similarity is either superficial or nonexistent. We adhere to our guidelines and accept stories that we consider of a quality and caliber to represent AwesomeDude, a site dedicated to generally upbeat, realistic, and helpful stories for gay people, especially young or questioning persons. We are also dedicated to helping gay writers achieve their potential, which is why we are often willing to work personally with so many authors. Why can't TR edit all my story submissions? TR, like you, is an author and needs time to do his own work. In addition, if he edited all of your, and everyone else's submissions, he'd need about 72 hours in each day. TR is not your Editor, he is The Dude's Editor, and while he sometimes edits for authors in whom he takes an interest, or who ask sweetly, his primary duty is to The Dude and AwesomeDude. He also, despite rumors to the contrary, has an Actual Real Life and would like to take the occasional day off to experience the offline world. Please don't pester, threaten, or harass TR if he is unable to edit your submission(s), if he must reject a submission on behalf of Admin or if he does not respond within a period you consider reasonable. If he does edit your work, be nice, say thank you and carefully consider his edits. Courtesy is its own reward. It is permissible to remind TR or The Dude, politely, in an email/PM/IM, of some deadline or lack of response, because they do occasionally forget things, but it is not nice to harass, spam, annoy, insult them and let's not submit their email addresses to trolls, freaks, homophobes, pay-by-the-minute webcam operators or online Viagra advertisers. Please be considerate, and rest assured that we are all stocked up on Viagra. How can I find an Editor? Are they sold on Ebay? We offer Forums where fantastic and experienced (or brand new!) Editors routinely offer their services, for no charge, and we offer a Bull Pen Forum where you can practice writing skills. Other options exist; you have only to ask nicely. How can I best use the services of an Editor, if offered? Follow his or her directives, ask questions, make corrections in a timely fashion and respect their advice, even that which you do not take. Always thank them profusely for their time and efforts. Like our authors, and unlike workers in the sex industry, our editors perform for love, not money. You simply cannot thank them enough. Some authors occasionally (or regularly) edit for one another; again, just ask. Make sure you communicate up front what you expect of your editor and ask him/her what he/she expects of you. Not all authors and editors are meant for each other. If my story is not accepted, may I resubmit it? No. Exceptions are if Admin returns it with edits or specific rewrite suggestions and asks you to resubmit it. Otherwise, confer with your Editor or household gods and only resubmit if major changes are made and a reasonable amount of time has elapsed. Please do not harass TR (or The Dude) and do not demand or expect that either will personally edit your story for content, grammar, or other errors. TR may offer, but he is also an author, and has many other authors to assist each week in his guise as Story Editor for AwesomeDude. He is, of course, also always at The Dude's command. Be polite, be patient, and be nice. We love nice people. If my story is not accepted, may I submit a different story? Yes, unless asked not to. If my story is accepted, do I retain rights to it? Yes, without exception or reservation. If I later publish my story or novel offline, will AwesomeDude remove the web version from online? Yes, unlike most online fiction sites, and we do not charge for this or set up conditions. We will also help promote your published work. We'd love to see you published! What do I get for being an AD Author? Is there a decoder ring or club tee shirt? No tees or toys, sorry, but all AD Authors are eligible for the following at no charge: their own AwesomeDude email address that is accessible online or auto-forwards to their personal email address (E.g.author_name@awesomedude.com), a personalized and individual Author Page with links, photos and other cool options to make Readers take notice (authors are eligible after second story is accepted), AD Forum membership upgrade to Author with extended Forums access, official AD Admin assistance in promoting any and all projects including music careers, book or story publications and, if you are ever cast in a Bel Ami film, a weekend date with The Dude, plane fare included. Of course, all AD Authors, Bel Ami models or not, receive the undying affection and attention of The Awesome Dude and his faithful Story Editor, TR. What does AwesomeDude consider an unacceptable story? Multiple. See above. Bad prose, trite storylines, fanfic, unreadable grammar or narrative style, etc, are not accepted, nor are violations of our content and quality guidelines as listed above. What does AwesomeDude consider a 'good' story or a 'great' story? A story that contains gay characters who feel good about themselves and experience some event in their life or lives, then manage to resolve it in a relatively believable fashion. Sad or funny; mystery, adventure, fantasy...we host stories that run the gamut. We especially love to accept stories with beautiful prose, unusual plots or situations and exceptionally likable or believable characters. We do not require the content, author or characters to 'be gay'; we are looking for quality work from exceptional authors. AD is a boutique site of what we consider the best online, mostly gay, fiction and, as such, we are smaller but we make up for that in quality, talent, and endurance. Size isn't everything. AwesomeDude: providing awesome gay fiction online since 2004. Story Editor - TR Site Administrator - Dude

AwesomeDude STORY SUBMISSION FAQs In what form should I submit my story or chapter? Submit story in .doc or .htm files, zip only if sending multiple files, separate your chapters into different files unless discussed with TR ahead of time. Do not convert from Word to htm, please use another program to convert to htm or submit in doc form. Each file name should ideally be the title and chapter, installment, or part number, with underscores between all letters and numbers. Include author ID in file name if it is not an installment on a regular chapter or you are not a regular contributor. Do not send stories in txt/Notepad files/funky formats, or in the body of the email itself. The word 'submission' is not required in the subject header, include only title, chapter # and author name in subject header. Do not leave subject header blank, that only guarantees it will be diverted and die unread in the Story Editor's Junk folder. Do not send lists of titles and/or links without explanation. Comments and questions should be limited to the body of the email and should be clear and to the point. Exceptions allowed, of course, for personal correspondence to TR using Admin address, though it might be better to use his tr@tragicrabbit.org address for this purpose. So long as the subject header is clear and accurate, there's no problem. Remember that Admin deals with a large quantity of emails every week, and try to assist them in these little timesavers. Don't attach weird things to your email; if they look odd to us, chances are they won't be opened. When the file opens: title, installment # and author pen name must be clearly visible at top of open file. We should not have to search file to discover if this is the correct file or who wrote it. File end, story, or chapter conclusion should clearly marked or otherwise obvious. DO NOT include repeats from former chapters to 'remind' readers, they can click on the previous chapters if they're so inclined. Author Notes are acceptable if reasonably short, as are disclaimers, and are recommended for story/file/chapter end only. You can include a disclaimer but please understand that by being hosted by AwesomeDude, your words are already essentially copyrighted, and in a sense that is defensible in court. If Author Notes are longer than story itself, you might reconsider either the story or the Notes. Leave multiple spaces at top and bottom of story files and reasonable margins. Be neat. Use spellcheck and a readable font. Unreadable, weird, or tiny font will not be read. Include an author email if you desire direct reader response. Make sure Story Editor knows how to contact you; it helps to use only one email address when corresponding with TR as Story Editor. Comply with all Admin requests or provide a reason why you cannot. We don't mean to sound harsh and AD Admin are reasonable people, but have only so many hours in their days. Help us conserve time so that we may better serve you. What do you need in the email itself? If submitting chapters in an ongoing serial, nothing need be attached in the email or along with the file, as long as the subject header contains the correct information. Exceptions are if author is sending from alternate email address, then author must identify himself in the email body. Doing so risks the email hitting a Junk/Spam folder, or being stopped/bounced/deleted by other security protocols, so it's not advisable...though it's acceptable. Please try to be consistent. What if I am new to AwesomeDude? If you are new to AD and have not been approved as an AwesomeDude Author, please include and repeat author information in all email queries. Please try not to inundate TR with email postscripts as they occur to you. Do not assume we will post your story: we are not your mothers and we are not Nifty (though we are Awesome). Don't be belligerent, rude, or demanding. Tell us if and where the submitted story has already been posted or published. If an AD Author, Admin, Editor or Forum Member has recommended you, tell us that, too, so that we may contact him/her. Please note that we will contact him/her; be honest. Tell us something about yourself, why you write, and why you are submitting to AwesomeDude. Patiently await the responses of Story Editor and decision of Admin to accept or reject submission. Please respond fully and courteously to all emailed questions from AD Administrators. Do not submit AD Admin email addresses to Chinese spambots, Homeland Security or Fred Phelps, and avoid the use of voodoo to achieve your purposes. We employ multiple and confusing software securities, as well as white magic, to protect our Authors and ourselves. What kind of stories do you usually accept? We focus on gay fiction, with emphasis on gay romance, but accept other stories on a case-by-case basis. Proven authors are free to submit on nearly any subject that does not violate our story content restrictions, and even some that do. Quality, originality and style have the potential to trump other considerations. We love a great story, however unusual or weird. With rare exceptions, content restrictions include, but are not limited to, the following: gratuitous rape, adult-child sex (child=under ten), gratuitous prostitution or drug abuse, sex scenes involving children under the age of ten, abuse of children or animals, bestiality (aside from, say, humor, but we're open to possibilities here and don't want to limit a good writer's creativity), graphic hardcore BDSM ('blood sports', etc), fanfic of any kind, and most especially 'wank' stories (as defined by Admin) wherein the sex serves no narrative purpose and the story exists solely, or primarily, as masturbatory material. Hot sex is great but only if integrated into a storyline that is believable, consistent and of good narrative quality. None of the restrictions apply to personal reminiscences submitted for our Drawn From Life section, those are open to whatever is, or was, true for the author. Work must be original. Please note that we do not accept or read: fanfic, boy-band stories or any other kind of story that is not wholly and entirely original to the author submitting. Don't send us stories about Harry Potter, the Elves of Middle Earth or Captain James T. Kirk. Those characters belong to their authors, living or dead. If your submitted story is based on, or is companion to, the works of another author, with their permission, make that clear in your first email. Do not use characters from another author's work, scenes, and descriptions or lift whole paragraphs-be advised that we will check. If yours is a parody of another author's work, that should be clearly stated in the email and such submissions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, quality and permissions being paramount. AwesomeDude absolutely does not accept stories where the author promotes homophobia, racism, or other bigotries, though stories may contain characters that express such feelings if necessary for the plot. AwesomeDude exists to promote self-acceptance and happy lives among our readers, authors, and members, gay or not, and therefore cannot assist in the promotion of hate in any form. This does not mean all stories have a 'happy ending', it means all stories have a happy purpose, which is to further the aims of AwesomeDude. We consider such stories righteous, rightful, and needful in today's society of negativity. Quality expectations include, but are not limited to, the following: stories must be in English, said English must be readable and grammatically correct (dialogue excepted), story ideas must not be stale or obvious (or unoriginal), and narrative style must be of a caliber we consider consistent with the standards of AwesomeDude. Again, no 'wank' stories, no fanfic; no exceptions. It is also helpful if your emails to Story Editor are cogent, courteous, coherent and consistent. New applicants in particular, please take note. If English is not your first language and you fear this might make communication rockier, please state that up front, in the initial email contact, and we will work with you. We are not unreasonable, just busy, but mostly on your behalf. If you are not yet an AD Author, please repeat all basic information in each email correspondence and submit from a single email address. Why? Because Story Editor is a mere human and can't remember who sent what from where, plus all their details, for days on end-that's why he keeps organized files. Help him stay organized by being clear, honest, direct, and to the point, every time you email or reply. Don't use the AD PM system unless no alternative is available. Email sent to Story-editor@awesomedude.com is the preferred contact method. Visit Writer and Editor Forums for tips, lists and details on what constitutes good writing and the elements of style. Do you accept stories with sex? If yes, what are the limitations, if any? See above. AwesomeDude accepts many stories with sex, gay or otherwise, but does not and will not accept 'wank' stories, fanfic or stories which otherwise violate content standards of AwesomeDude. We are a sex-positive website and our feeling is that gay people, in particular, are elevated and empowered by exposure to a variety of characters and storylines involving fictional gay people engaged in sexual, romantic or other ordinary human relationships. Why was I told that my story with subject matter Y was unacceptable when AD Author X wrote on that very topic? Do you just hate me and not Author X? No, we do not allow personal feelings to color decisions about editing or accepting stories. If we accepted one story and not yours, which you believe to be similar in some respect, then the similarity is either superficial or nonexistent. We adhere to our guidelines and accept stories that we consider of a quality and caliber to represent AwesomeDude, a site dedicated to generally upbeat, realistic, and helpful stories for gay people, especially young or questioning persons. We are also dedicated to helping gay writers achieve their potential, which is why we are often willing to work personally with so many authors. Why can't TR edit all my story submissions? TR, like you, is an author and needs time to do his own work. In addition, if he edited all of your, and everyone else's submissions, he'd need about 72 hours in each day. TR is not your Editor, he is The Dude's Editor, and while he sometimes edits for authors in whom he takes an interest, or who ask sweetly, his primary duty is to The Dude and AwesomeDude. He also, despite rumors to the contrary, has an Actual Real Life and would like to take the occasional day off to experience the offline world. Please don't pester, threaten, or harass TR if he is unable to edit your submission(s), if he must reject a submission on behalf of Admin or if he does not respond within a period you consider reasonable. If he does edit your work, be nice, say thank you and carefully consider his edits. Courtesy is its own reward. It is permissible to remind TR or The Dude, politely, in an email/PM/IM, of some deadline or lack of response, because they do occasionally forget things, but it is not nice to harass, spam, annoy, insult them and let's not submit their email addresses to trolls, freaks, homophobes, pay-by-the-minute webcam operators or online Viagra advertisers. Please be considerate, and rest assured that we are all stocked up on Viagra. How can I find an Editor? Are they sold on Ebay? We offer Forums where fantastic and experienced (or brand new!) Editors routinely offer their services, for no charge, and we offer a Bull Pen Forum where you can practice writing skills. Other options exist; you have only to ask nicely. How can I best use the services of an Editor, if offered? Follow his or her directives, ask questions, make corrections in a timely fashion and respect their advice, even that which you do not take. Always thank them profusely for their time and efforts. Like our authors, and unlike workers in the sex industry, our editors perform for love, not money. You simply cannot thank them enough. Some authors occasionally (or regularly) edit for one another; again, just ask. Make sure you communicate up front what you expect of your editor and ask him/her what he/she expects of you. Not all authors and editors are meant for each other. If my story is not accepted, may I resubmit it? No. Exceptions are if Admin returns it with edits or specific rewrite suggestions and asks you to resubmit it. Otherwise, confer with your Editor or household gods and only resubmit if major changes are made and a reasonable amount of time has elapsed. Please do not harass TR (or The Dude) and do not demand or expect that either will personally edit your story for content, grammar, or other errors. TR may offer, but he is also an author, and has many other authors to assist each week in his guise as Story Editor for AwesomeDude. He is, of course, also always at The Dude's command. Be polite, be patient, and be nice. We love nice people. If my story is not accepted, may I submit a different story? Yes, unless asked not to. If my story is accepted, do I retain rights to it? Yes, without exception or reservation. If I later publish my story or novel offline, will AwesomeDude remove the web version from online? Yes, unlike most online fiction sites, and we do not charge for this or set up conditions. We will also help promote your published work. We'd love to see you published! What do I get for being an AD Author? Is there a decoder ring or club tee shirt? No tees or toys, sorry, but all AD Authors are eligible for the following at no charge: their own AwesomeDude email address that is accessible online or auto-forwards to their personal email address (E.g.author_name@awesomedude.com), a personalized and individual Author Page with links, photos and other cool options to make Readers take notice (authors are eligible after second story is accepted), AD Forum membership upgrade to Author with extended Forums access, official AD Admin assistance in promoting any and all projects including music careers, book or story publications and, if you are ever cast in a Bel Ami film, a weekend date with The Dude, plane fare included. Of course, all AD Authors, Bel Ami models or not, receive the undying affection and attention of The Awesome Dude and his faithful Story Editor, TR. What does AwesomeDude consider an unacceptable story? Multiple. See above. Bad prose, trite storylines, fanfic, unreadable grammar or narrative style, etc, are not accepted, nor are violations of our content and quality guidelines as listed above. What does AwesomeDude consider a 'good' story or a 'great' story? A story that contains gay characters who feel good about themselves and experience some event in their life or lives, then manage to resolve it in a relatively believable fashion. Sad or funny; mystery, adventure, fantasy...we host stories that run the gamut. We especially love to accept stories with beautiful prose, unusual plots or situations and exceptionally likable or believable characters. We do not require the content, author or characters to 'be gay'; we are looking for quality work from exceptional authors. AD is a boutique site of what we consider the best online, mostly gay, fiction and, as such, we are smaller but we make up for that in quality, talent, and endurance. Size isn't everything. AwesomeDude: providing awesome gay fiction online since 2004. Story Editor - TR Site Administrator - Dude

AwesomeDude STORY SUBMISSION FAQs In what form should I submit my story or chapter? Submit story in .doc or .htm files, zip only if sending multiple files, separate your chapters into different files unless discussed with TR ahead of time. Do not convert from Word to htm, please use another program to convert to htm or submit in doc form. Each file name should ideally be the title and chapter, installment, or part number, with underscores between all letters and numbers. Include author ID in file name if it is not an installment on a regular chapter or you are not a regular contributor. Do not send stories in txt/Notepad files/funky formats, or in the body of the email itself. The word 'submission' is not required in the subject header, include only title, chapter # and author name in subject header. Do not leave subject header blank, that only guarantees it will be diverted and die unread in the Story Editor's Junk folder. Do not send lists of titles and/or links without explanation. Comments and questions should be limited to the body of the email and should be clear and to the point. Exceptions allowed, of course, for personal correspondence to TR using Admin address, though it might be better to use his tr@tragicrabbit.org address for this purpose. So long as the subject header is clear and accurate, there's no problem. Remember that Admin deals with a large quantity of emails every week, and try to assist them in these little timesavers. Don't attach weird things to your email; if they look odd to us, chances are they won't be opened. When the file opens: title, installment # and author pen name must be clearly visible at top of open file. We should not have to search file to discover if this is the correct file or who wrote it. File end, story, or chapter conclusion should clearly marked or otherwise obvious. DO NOT include repeats from former chapters to 'remind' readers, they can click on the previous chapters if they're so inclined. Author Notes are acceptable if reasonably short, as are disclaimers, and are recommended for story/file/chapter end only. You can include a disclaimer but please understand that by being hosted by AwesomeDude, your words are already essentially copyrighted, and in a sense that is defensible in court. If Author Notes are longer than story itself, you might reconsider either the story or the Notes. Leave multiple spaces at top and bottom of story files and reasonable margins. Be neat. Use spellcheck and a readable font. Unreadable, weird, or tiny font will not be read. Include an author email if you desire direct reader response. Make sure Story Editor knows how to contact you; it helps to use only one email address when corresponding with TR as Story Editor. Comply with all Admin requests or provide a reason why you cannot. We don't mean to sound harsh and AD Admin are reasonable people, but have only so many hours in their days. Help us conserve time so that we may better serve you. What do you need in the email itself? If submitting chapters in an ongoing serial, nothing need be attached in the email or along with the file, as long as the subject header contains the correct information. Exceptions are if author is sending from alternate email address, then author must identify himself in the email body. Doing so risks the email hitting a Junk/Spam folder, or being stopped/bounced/deleted by other security protocols, so it's not advisable...though it's acceptable. Please try to be consistent. What if I am new to AwesomeDude? If you are new to AD and have not been approved as an AwesomeDude Author, please include and repeat author information in all email queries. Please try not to inundate TR with email postscripts as they occur to you. Do not assume we will post your story: we are not your mothers and we are not Nifty (though we are Awesome). Don't be belligerent, rude, or demanding. Tell us if and where the submitted story has already been posted or published. If an AD Author, Admin, Editor or Forum Member has recommended you, tell us that, too, so that we may contact him/her. Please note that we will contact him/her; be honest. Tell us something about yourself, why you write, and why you are submitting to AwesomeDude. Patiently await the responses of Story Editor and decision of Admin to accept or reject submission. Please respond fully and courteously to all emailed questions from AD Administrators. Do not submit AD Admin email addresses to Chinese spambots, Homeland Security or Fred Phelps, and avoid the use of voodoo to achieve your purposes. We employ multiple and confusing software securities, as well as white magic, to protect our Authors and ourselves. What kind of stories do you usually accept? We focus on gay fiction, with emphasis on gay romance, but accept other stories on a case-by-case basis. Proven authors are free to submit on nearly any subject that does not violate our story content restrictions, and even some that do. Quality, originality and style have the potential to trump other considerations. We love a great story, however unusual or weird. With rare exceptions, content restrictions include, but are not limited to, the following: gratuitous rape, adult-child sex (child=under ten), gratuitous prostitution or drug abuse, sex scenes involving children under the age of ten, abuse of children or animals, bestiality (aside from, say, humor, but we're open to possibilities here and don't want to limit a good writer's creativity), graphic hardcore BDSM ('blood sports', etc), fanfic of any kind, and most especially 'wank' stories (as defined by Admin) wherein the sex serves no narrative purpose and the story exists solely, or primarily, as masturbatory material. Hot sex is great but only if integrated into a storyline that is believable, consistent and of good narrative quality. None of the restrictions apply to personal reminiscences submitted for our Drawn From Life section, those are open to whatever is, or was, true for the author. Work must be original. Please note that we do not accept or read: fanfic, boy-band stories or any other kind of story that is not wholly and entirely original to the author submitting. Don't send us stories about Harry Potter, the Elves of Middle Earth or Captain James T. Kirk. Those characters belong to their authors, living or dead. If your submitted story is based on, or is companion to, the works of another author, with their permission, make that clear in your first email. Do not use characters from another author's work, scenes, and descriptions or lift whole paragraphs-be advised that we will check. If yours is a parody of another author's work, that should be clearly stated in the email and such submissions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, quality and permissions being paramount. AwesomeDude absolutely does not accept stories where the author promotes homophobia, racism, or other bigotries, though stories may contain characters that express such feelings if necessary for the plot. AwesomeDude exists to promote self-acceptance and happy lives among our readers, authors, and members, gay or not, and therefore cannot assist in the promotion of hate in any form. This does not mean all stories have a 'happy ending', it means all stories have a happy purpose, which is to further the aims of AwesomeDude. We consider such stories righteous, rightful, and needful in today's society of negativity. Quality expectations include, but are not limited to, the following: stories must be in English, said English must be readable and grammatically correct (dialogue excepted), story ideas must not be stale or obvious (or unoriginal), and narrative style must be of a caliber we consider consistent with the standards of AwesomeDude. Again, no 'wank' stories, no fanfic; no exceptions. It is also helpful if your emails to Story Editor are cogent, courteous, coherent and consistent. New applicants in particular, please take note. If English is not your first language and you fear this might make communication rockier, please state that up front, in the initial email contact, and we will work with you. We are not unreasonable, just busy, but mostly on your behalf. If you are not yet an AD Author, please repeat all basic information in each email correspondence and submit from a single email address. Why? Because Story Editor is a mere human and can't remember who sent what from where, plus all their details, for days on end-that's why he keeps organized files. Help him stay organized by being clear, honest, direct, and to the point, every time you email or reply. Don't use the AD PM system unless no alternative is available. Email sent to Story-editor@awesomedude.com is the preferred contact method. Visit Writer and Editor Forums for tips, lists and details on what constitutes good writing and the elements of style. Do you accept stories with sex? If yes, what are the limitations, if any? See above. AwesomeDude accepts many stories with sex, gay or otherwise, but does not and will not accept 'wank' stories, fanfic or stories which otherwise violate content standards of AwesomeDude. We are a sex-positive website and our feeling is that gay people, in particular, are elevated and empowered by exposure to a variety of characters and storylines involving fictional gay people engaged in sexual, romantic or other ordinary human relationships. Why was I told that my story with subject matter Y was unacceptable when AD Author X wrote on that very topic? Do you just hate me and not Author X? No, we do not allow personal feelings to color decisions about editing or accepting stories. If we accepted one story and not yours, which you believe to be similar in some respect, then the similarity is either superficial or nonexistent. We adhere to our guidelines and accept stories that we consider of a quality and caliber to represent AwesomeDude, a site dedicated to generally upbeat, realistic, and helpful stories for gay people, especially young or questioning persons. We are also dedicated to helping gay writers achieve their potential, which is why we are often willing to work personally with so many authors. Why can't TR edit all my story submissions? TR, like you, is an author and needs time to do his own work. In addition, if he edited all of your, and everyone else's submissions, he'd need about 72 hours in each day. TR is not your Editor, he is The Dude's Editor, and while he sometimes edits for authors in whom he takes an interest, or who ask sweetly, his primary duty is to The Dude and AwesomeDude. He also, despite rumors to the contrary, has an Actual Real Life and would like to take the occasional day off to experience the offline world. Please don't pester, threaten, or harass TR if he is unable to edit your submission(s), if he must reject a submission on behalf of Admin or if he does not respond within a period you consider reasonable. If he does edit your work, be nice, say thank you and carefully consider his edits. Courtesy is its own reward. It is permissible to remind TR or The Dude, politely, in an email/PM/IM, of some deadline or lack of response, because they do occasionally forget things, but it is not nice to harass, spam, annoy, insult them and let's not submit their email addresses to trolls, freaks, homophobes, pay-by-the-minute webcam operators or online Viagra advertisers. Please be considerate, and rest assured that we are all stocked up on Viagra. How can I find an Editor? Are they sold on Ebay? We offer Forums where fantastic and experienced (or brand new!) Editors routinely offer their services, for no charge, and we offer a Bull Pen Forum where you can practice writing skills. Other options exist; you have only to ask nicely. How can I best use the services of an Editor, if offered? Follow his or her directives, ask questions, make corrections in a timely fashion and respect their advice, even that which you do not take. Always thank them profusely for their time and efforts. Like our authors, and unlike workers in the sex industry, our editors perform for love, not money. You simply cannot thank them enough. Some authors occasionally (or regularly) edit for one another; again, just ask. Make sure you communicate up front what you expect of your editor and ask him/her what he/she expects of you. Not all authors and editors are meant for each other. If my story is not accepted, may I resubmit it? No. Exceptions are if Admin returns it with edits or specific rewrite suggestions and asks you to resubmit it. Otherwise, confer with your Editor or household gods and only resubmit if major changes are made and a reasonable amount of time has elapsed. Please do not harass TR (or The Dude) and do not demand or expect that either will personally edit your story for content, grammar, or other errors. TR may offer, but he is also an author, and has many other authors to assist each week in his guise as Story Editor for AwesomeDude. He is, of course, also always at The Dude's command. Be polite, be patient, and be nice. We love nice people. If my story is not accepted, may I submit a different story? Yes, unless asked not to. If my story is accepted, do I retain rights to it? Yes, without exception or reservation. If I later publish my story or novel offline, will AwesomeDude remove the web version from online? Yes, unlike most online fiction sites, and we do not charge for this or set up conditions. We will also help promote your published work. We'd love to see you published! What do I get for being an AD Author? Is there a decoder ring or club tee shirt? No tees or toys, sorry, but all AD Authors are eligible for the following at no charge: their own AwesomeDude email address that is accessible online or auto-forwards to their personal email address (E.g.author_name@awesomedude.com), a personalized and individual Author Page with links, photos and other cool options to make Readers take notice (authors are eligible after second story is accepted), AD Forum membership upgrade to Author with extended Forums access, official AD Admin assistance in promoting any and all projects including music careers, book or story publications and, if you are ever cast in a Bel Ami film, a weekend date with The Dude, plane fare included. Of course, all AD Authors, Bel Ami models or not, receive the undying affection and attention of The Awesome Dude and his faithful Story Editor, TR. What does AwesomeDude consider an unacceptable story? Multiple. See above. Bad prose, trite storylines, fanfic, unreadable grammar or narrative style, etc, are not accepted, nor are violations of our content and quality guidelines as listed above. What does AwesomeDude consider a 'good' story or a 'great' story? A story that contains gay characters who feel good about themselves and experience some event in their life or lives, then manage to resolve it in a relatively believable fashion. Sad or funny; mystery, adventure, fantasy...we host stories that run the gamut. We especially love to accept stories with beautiful prose, unusual plots or situations and exceptionally likable or believable characters. We do not require the content, author or characters to 'be gay'; we are looking for quality work from exceptional authors. AD is a boutique site of what we consider the best online, mostly gay, fiction and, as such, we are smaller but we make up for that in quality, talent, and endurance. Size isn't everything. AwesomeDude: providing awesome gay fiction online since 2004. Story Editor - TR Site Administrator - Dude

Bakker, Brown: What the hell happened to Christianity? By Jay Bakker and Marc Brown Special to CNN Editor's note: Jay Bakker, son of former Praise The Lord leaders Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner, is minister of Revolution Church and subject of a new documentary series, "One Punk Under God," on Sundance Channel. Marc Brown is a Revolution staff member. NEW YORK (CNN) -- What the hell happened? Where did we go wrong? How was Christianity co-opted by a political party? Why are Christians supporting laws that force others to live by their standards? The answers to these questions are integral to the survival of Christianity. While the current state of Christianity might seem normal and business-as-usual to some, most see through the judgment and hypocrisy that has permeated the church for so long. People witness this and say to themselves, "Why would I want to be a part of that?" They are turned off by Christians and eventually, to Christianity altogether. We can't even count the number of times someone has given us a weird stare or completely brushed us off when they discover we work for a church. So when did the focus of Christianity shift from the unconditional love and acceptance preached by Christ to the hate and condemnation spewed forth by certain groups today? Some say it was during the rise of Conservative Christianity in the early 1980s with political action groups like the Moral Majority. Others say it goes way back to the 300s, when Rome's Christian Emperor Constantine initiated a set of laws limiting the rights of Roman non-Christians. Regardless of the origin, one thing is crystal clear: It's not what Jesus stood for. His parables and lessons were focused on love and forgiveness, a message of "come as you are, not as you should be." The bulk of his time was spent preaching about helping the poor and those who are unable to help themselves. At the very least, Christians should be counted on to lend a helping hand to the poor and others in need. This brings us to the big issues of American Christianity: Abortion and gay marriage. These two highly debatable topics will not be going away anytime soon. Obviously, the discussion centers around whether they are right or wrong, but is the screaming really necessary? After years of witnessing the dark side of religion, Marc and I think not. Christians should be able to look past their differences and agree to disagree. This allows people to discuss issues with respect for one another. Christians are called to love others just as they are, without an agenda. Only then will Christianity see a return to its roots: Loving God with all of your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself. The Apostle Paul describes this idea of love beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." But don't take our word for it; look at what Jesus and his followers stood for in his time and what Christianity stands for today. Then come to your own conclusion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer. This is part of an occasional series of commentaries on CNN.com that offers a broad range of perspectives, thoughts and points of view. Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/13/bakker.br...tary/index.html

Actually and seriously, I put it in my Unfinished folder and write something else. I then come back to it at another time, possibly many months later. The story may end up very different from my initial idea when it spends time in the Unfinished/Ideas folder, and that's often a good thing. It's definitely not a bad thing. If you're really stuck, I'd set it aside and write something else, anything else. Or, if it's a long work, and as others suggest, skip to another part and write unrelated scenes...if that works for you. The main thing, again as others have said here, is to write something, anything, every day. Ideas, notes, poetry, short story asides, essays, anything. Keep your hand in. Kisses... TR

It's hardly Freudian, slip or other undergarment, but if anyone else does write A Groovy Kind of Love, it'd definitely be a violation of AD's (newly updated) story submission guidelines. All AD Authors and aspirants are encouraged to read said Guidelines carefully. Kisses... TR PS. Pretty sure the 'authoritarian' was a yoke, Cowpoke.

I have to second all that the Stout Scarab said, and add a question. Was this post meant to be the entire thing? If so, then I misunderstood; I thought it was just an idea, a first entry in what would be a longer work. If that's it, then yeah, it's too short and lacks a lot of basics you'd need to make it a good story. And, yes, the diary thing has been done lots of times, and sometimes excellently (but I'm thinking of offline fiction here-eg Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Mr. Sammler's Planet by Saul Bellow), but doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. The whole sister's room thing was done strangely and unless there's a reason you're keeping secrets from your own diary (eg to spring something REALLY weird on the readers), I didn't like it. You might consider another way of telling the story than diary entries, possibly bypassing first-person altogether if you don't want to tell what your character is thinking or why he does what he does. Character was okay, situation okay, not thrilling, but I want you to ask yourself: why are you trying to write 'gay fiction'? Just write something. IMO fiction can't be gay, only people can, and so we should just write stories. Some stories may involve gay characters, some may not; 'gayness' may not be an issue in 99% of what you write. I guess I dislike that phrase, 'gay fiction', as much as 'gay sex'...like what, 'gay sex' another entire set of behaviors? I don't think so, it's just sex between men, not a whole different party game. Yeah, sure, there are things you can do with men that you can't with women, and vice versa, but, pretty much, sex is sex, IMO. Sex acts aren't gay, people are gay; stories aren't gay, people are gay. Ok, rant over. Kisses... TR PS. Even a short short story takes a lot longer than a half hour, if it's any good. I've clocked myself and, though I think and type fast, I can only get so many usable words per hour...I think it was 500 (?), and that's AT BEST and if I'm on a roll, chainsmoking and on the caffeine IV. Don't laugh, Steven King says giving up nicotine and caffeine cut down on both his inspiration and the speed/efficiency with which he writes. That does count time off to 'think'(if you don't know what I mean, then I probably can't explain it), but doesn't count time off to research, make notes or corrections. In other words, I think you should invest more than a half hour before putting anything out, even here, for comments. I probably spent nearly that much time writing this reply post. Not really equitable, you know?